Implicated by Aaron’s Royality Inc. (ARI) as one of two officials at Guyoil from whom it received commitments for a fuel supply contract, Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) Board member Akanni Blair yesterday said he approached the company after a directive and then discovered that now resigned General Manager Trevor Bassoo was already separately negotiating with it.
Blair, who is a representative of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) on the board, is now claiming that it was he who notified the Chairman of the Board that he learned from ARI that two other company officials were negotiating the supply of fuel. Blair’s version of how the issue unfolded now contradicts that of Bassoo.
In an interview with Stabroek News yesterday on his role in the matter, Blair said that all he was guilty of was poor judgement by trying to help, on a directive of the board, when he and the Finance Officer of Guyoil had approached the company. However, they were told that Bassoo had already engaged a member of ARI’s staff, in California, USA, to have discussions with the company.